Archives for January 2022

January 31, 2022

A Winter Day Trip To Breckenridge

I was so excited to get back up into the mountains and spend the day in Breckenridge. We go often in the summer but avoid it more in the winter given ski traffic.

We started with a visit to the Breckenridge Troll which is just a short walk down an snowy path to see Isak Heartstone.

We then took the (free) bus into downtown Breckenridge to visit the International Ice Sculpture Competition.

It was so fun seeing all the different sculptures, they really are works of art. The kids enjoyed it as well.

We then went on a mission to find lunch.

We wanted to find a restaurant with a patio open since we still aren’t eating inside restaurants.

Kenosha Smoke House and Grill was exactly what we wanted. Their deck was open, it was a beautiful day, the food was good and view was amazing. We have gotten to the point where eating out is fun again with the kids.

We then stopped at a Railroad themed playground to play before heading home. We would have loved to hit the sledding hill that is supposed to have great tubbing. We had to save that for another trip because we didn’t want to leave Humphry home alone too long.

Some of our past favorite visits to Breck:

A SUMMER WEEKEND IN BRECKENRIDGE

DAY TRIP TO BRECKENRIDGE + TROLL SPOTTING (Fall)

January 30, 2022

Favorite Running Gear – 2022

Shoes: For the last few years I have been running in Hokas, they have kept my feet happy through pregnancies and some high miles both on the road and trail. Right now I am running in the Arahi 6 for a more supportive ride. I have also used and loved the Clifton and Challenger ATR

Watch: One of my favorite pieces of gear ever is my Garmin Fenix 5 Sapphire. The Fenix 5 is a bit smaller, lighter and has optical heart rate compared to my Fenix 3 . I LOVE mine, and the fact that it uploads over bluetooth to my phone. It holds a charge well and still looks great after almost three years of constant wear. Side bonus is that it is waterproof so I don’t have to worry about it when bathing the kids or washing my hands for the 700th time.

Tights/Capris: My Favorite tights are Lululemon Fast and Free Crops. These are a little pricey BUT I have had mine for years. They have stretched and shrunk with pregnancies and have great pockets. I love them and wear them constantly! I also love the PowerSoft Crops from Old Navy that feel a lot like the Lulus.

Shorts : I am on the taller side (5’8″) so I like a bit longer short. I really love Run Times Short The 4 inch inseam is a better length for me than the shorter 2.5 inch inseam. I wore them for my ultra and they felt good the entire time. I also have been running a lot in Old Navy’s PowerSoft Biker Short

Socks: I love both Stance socks and Smart Wool. Both of these brands of kept my feet happy in marathons and ultra trail races.

Jackets: In my opinion this Down For It All puffer is the best for chilly running.

Safety: An important part of my gear list is the Run Angel. A Run Angel is a wearable safety alarm that is quite loud. If you set off the alarm then through your phone it will send an alert and your location to your angels (people you set up to get the alert).

Treadmill: This is a necessary part of my training and I LOVE our NordicTrack Incline Trainer. It makes training possible on days where I might not be able to get out! I love that it has both incline and decline.

Hydration: I have tried many hydration options and BY FAR my favorite is the VaporHowe 12L Race Vest. This vest has tons of storage and is so comfortable and light. I forget I am wearing it even after hours on the trails.

Running Stroller: We have the single BOB Revolution stroller and the double Thule Cougar Chariot . I love running with the BOB (although that might be because it’s a single so it’s just easier in general. I really love the the Thule converts from a jogging stroller, to walking, or bike trailer. You can even convert it to a sled for pulling while skiing but we don’t have that attachment. I would love the try the double BOB to really be able to compare.

What’s some of your favorite running gear?

January 29, 2022

Tips for Disneyland with Toddlers and Littles

We have taken a few trips to Disneyland now with our kids and feel like we have a pretty good system going. We have visited the park when the kids have been 9 months, 2.5 years, 3.5 years and 5 years old.

We have been for Valentine’s Day, Halloween and Christmas time and loved every visit.

Here is what made our visits not only manageable but fun for all of us:

1. Bring The Biggest Stroller You Can

Our stroller was the command center for every trip!

Babies, toddlers and little kids need a lot of things and can’t walk the 10 miles that a day at Disney requires. We store all the things we need for a day in the parks like snacks, water, changes of clothes, diapers, etc. in the stroller so we don’t have to carry everything.

The stroller worked as a great place for the kids to nap when they were younger.

We weren’t sure if we would have to return to our hotels for nap time, but both kiddos were able to nap in the stroller while rolling around the park.

Even at five and a half Cannon would get tired and want a break in the stroller. It was especially helpful as we usually stay in a hotel close to Disneyland but not on property so walking back to the hotel at night the kids would always fall asleep.

Our stroller also has a great rain cover that really helped when it rained during our visits. I think having a good stroller is key to having a good visit if you have little ones.

You can rent strollers at Disneyland if you can’t bring one with you but I am not a huge fan of them, they don’t look comfortable and don’t have a lot of protection from the elements. Still better than nothing but highly encourage bringing your own if you can.

We LOVE our double Thule Cougar Chariot.

2. If You Have a Baby, Wear Them

When we took Emerald for her first visit when she was nine months old. We brought our Becco baby carrier (as well as a stroller) and wore her while in line and often on the rides. She was comfy and happy to take naps and just hang out with us.

Baby Emmy in line for Alice in Wonderland

3. Bring Your Own Snacks and Water.

I am a BIG fan of Disney snacks, we particularly love a popcorn bucket to share while waiting in line. But we also bring lots of our own snacks so that we aren’t spending tons of money as well as the kids aren’t getting sugar overload. It’s nice for their tummy to have snacks they are used to getting. We also save special snacks to have while waiting in longer lines to make the time go by faster.

Frozen lemonade while waiting for Rise of the Resistance

4. Bring Portable Phone Chargers

More and more you need your phone to make plans, check the wait times and take millions of photos. I love the Disneyland App but it also drains my phone’s battery quickly so we bring portable charges to be sure our phones can make it through the day.

5. Find Time to Play

Waiting in line and sitting on rides isn’t a great way to get energy out of little bodies. It’s important to find time for them to move and play. Toon Town, Tom Sawyers Island and Red Wood Creek Challenge are great places to let kids run free.

5. Take a Break

When we are visiting for more than a couple days we like to take a break day.

On our trip in October we thought we would spend the day at our hotel pool then in Downtown Disney. It wasn’t very warm so we headed to the beach instead and had a great time before jumping back into the parks.

Most importantly take your time, enjoy the little things and know you might not do everything but you are making memories and bonding as a family!

What are your favorite tips for visiting a Disney park?

January 28, 2022

Increase Your Success by 42%?!?

I watched this video and it totally motivated me to return to an old habbit:

I used to write down my goals all the time and I loved striving for things that I really didn’t believe I could do. Some of the goals I met (Ironman) some I have yet to check off the list (50 miler) emphasis on YET.

I haven’t done this practice in a while but I am feeling motivated to start doing it again.

Whats one dream that you have that is a little scary?

What are some things you do to help you reach your goals?

January 27, 2022

Dreaming of Sunshine + Saltwater

It’s always this time of year that I really start dreaming of getting away. Colorado winters aren’t really even that bad, we have many sunny days but I still start to plan some vacations.

We have planned and actually booked a little getaway to Tulum in May and I can’t wait. We haven’t been on a plane since 2019.

We visited the area in 2006 and really liked all the activities and history there is in the area.

We thought of going back to Cabo, which we love but felt like there are more activities in Tulum.

Also currently trying to figure out if we can make our dream France trip happen this year.

This would be a 2-3 week trip depending on how long we would want to spend in each place. There are a few more stops along the way as well but Google Maps only allows me to have 10 stops total.

There are so many amazing things to see, I can’t wait to experience it with my family.

Do you have any travel plans coming up this year?

January 26, 2022

Book Nook – Valentine’s

A snowy day seemed like the perfect time to set up our Valentine’s Book Nook.

I loved searching our library for books on Valentine’s Day and Love to add to our collection.

Plant a Kiss

Hug Machine

Tiny T. Rex and the Perfect Valentine

In My Heart: A Book of Feelings

A Crankenstein Valentine

Love Is a Truck

Bunny Roo, I Love You

Tomorrow I’ll Be Kind

You’re My Little Cuddle Bug

Catch a Kiss

**I own some of these books but also check many out from our local library, it would be very expensive to add all of these titles to your collection in one year. We are building ours with a few new favorites each year.

Shelves – Banners – Shelfie Sign – Kids Custom Chairs – Wire Basket – Ballerina Doll – Heart Pillows

Monthly Book Nooks:

January – Arctic Animals/Snow

February – Love/Valentines Day

March – St. Patricks Day/Rainbow

April – Easter

May – Spring

June – Mexico/Beach/Ocean

July – Camping/summer

August – Back to School

September – Fall/Harvest

October – Halloween

November- Thanksgiving

December – Christmas

January 25, 2022

Weekend Happenings

We finished our weekend up with a new to us playground.

It’s always fun finding new places to play!

I then decided it would be fun to decorate the kids’ play kitchen for Valentines.

Emmy had been really into playing with her kitchen lately and decorating it was so much fun.

She was pretty excited about the additions.

Cannon loved some Valentine’s themed snacks.

January 24, 2022

A Day Trip to the Paint Mines

We had the best day yesterday exploring the Paint Mines , the Paint Mines are a natural feature south of Denver.

“The Paint Mines Interpretive Park is one of El Paso County’s most unique open spaces. The Paint Mines are named for their colorful clays that were collected by American Indians to make paint. Brightly colored bands, caused by oxidized iron compounds, are found in varying amounts throughout the many different layers of clay.

The Paint Mines Interpretive Park is located in the northeast section of the County near Calhan with approximately 750 acres. The paint mines have evidence of human life as far back as 9,000 years ago. The park features fantastic geological formations including spires and hoodoos that form through erosive action that creates incised gullies and exposed layers of selenite clay and jasper. The park includes a restroom facility, four miles of trails, interpretive signage, and many natural wonders.” – SOURCE

There is so much to explore.

Cannon and Emerald loved climbing around and finding hidden caves.

If you are in the area I highly suggest a visit.

January 23, 2022

Transitioning to Trails

I loved this article about transitioning from roads to trails:

How to Transition to Trail Running

I LOVE trail running and while I can’t always take the time to get out on them I do when I can. They help build strength and speed but also make you slow down.